When it comes to keeping your pet healthy, prevention is key. You can help strengthen your pet’s ability to resist disease and recover from illness by keeping up with a wellness plan. Your pet’s wellness plan should include twice-a-year veterinary checkups, along with a good diet and plenty of exercise. Following a wellness plan gives your pet every chance to lead a long and happy life.

Our staff will work with you to develop a personalized wellness care plan for every stage of your pet’s life, based on an assessment of the factors that affect his or her health‹age, breed, size, overall health, and environment. We follow the AAHA recommendation for twice-a-year examinations because pets age more rapidly than humans. For most animals younger than six years, a typical wellness exam includes:

A thorough physical examination, combined with a complete medical history, helps us diagnose potential medical conditions. Exams include assessment of eyes, ears, skin, teeth, heart, lungs, thyroid gland, and body condition (weight and muscle tone).

As your pet ages, we suggest regular blood work to monitor for any signs of metabolic diseases such as kidney disease, liver problems, or diabetes. These problems are common in older pets, but earlier detection can increase survival time and quality of life.

Twice-a-year wellness visits also provide an opportunity for you to share concerns you may have about your pet’s health with our staff. Since pets can’t let us know how they are feeling, your observations about changes in their everyday behavior are important. Please feel free to talk to us about any issues concerning your pet’s health.